RELEASES

Ajaita Shah from India has been named the 2017 Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Catalyst pitch competition Grand Champion during the closing plenary of the 2017 Global Entrepreneurship Summit. Her startup, Frontier Markets, is a last mile distribution solution for energy products with a focus on solar technology that empowers women.

USAID is announcing several efforts, including: WomenConnect Challenge, which will help to bridge the gender digital divide; a 2018 Feed the Future competition; a $2 million commitment from Feed the Future designed to lift up and mentor female entrepreneurs in Africa; funding to help India combat tuberculosis (TB) by bringing greater awareness to the stigma associated with the disease; and the launch of USAID's first health-impact bond, aimed at improving maternal and newborn health.

President Trump and his Administration are supporting American partnerships to help global entrepreneurs in line with the GES’s mission.

"I know that starting and growing a business takes tremendous grit and that facing the unknown requires determination. I also know that taking on that risk makes our Nation and our world a better place.” - President Donald J. Trump

Today, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced further action to help India in its fight against Tuberculosis (TB). India has the world's highest incidence of TB, with 2.8 million cases annually, and accounts for more than a quarter of the global TB burden. India also has the largest burden of multi-drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) among all countries, with almost 150,000 cases every year.

The 24 semifinalists have been announced for the Global Innovation through Science and Technology (GIST) Catalyst pitch competition taking place at the 2017 Global Entrepreneurship Summit. The semifinals were chosen based on a combined score that took into account their performance during the public vote portion of the competition, their pitch video, and feedback from expert judges who reviewed each of the over 75 startups that competed.

The Global Entrepreneurship Summit is being held for the first time in South Asia in Hyderabad, India, from November 28-30. Co-hosted by the Governments of the United States and India, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi will inaugurate the summit and Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump will lead the U.S. contingent to GES.

The United States and India are firmly committed to promoting entrepreneurship, not just in our own two countries but around the world, because we share the belief that entrepreneurship drives economic growth and creates jobs, establishing a foundation for a more prosperous world.

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green will travel to India from November 28 to December 1. He will participate in the eighth annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), a preeminent business gathering that welcomes over 1,500 entrepreneurs, investors, and supporters of innovation from 150 countries. USAID's Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator and Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment Michelle Bekkering will accompany him to GES.

The United States and India are proud to announce the selection of the 1,500 individuals who will participate in the 2017 Global Entrepreneurship Summit, which will be co-hosted by the United States and India in Hyderabad, India, November 28-30.

The U.S. Department of State announced today the partners for the 2017 Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), which will be co-hosted by the United States and India in Hyderabad, India, November 28-30. Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump will lead the U.S. contingent to the summit, which will focus on the theme of “Women First, Prosperity for All” and on supporting women entrepreneurs and fostering economic growth globally.